Songwriter, Once In Decline, Is Buried In Work

January 2, 1987|By BRUCE BRITT, Los Angeles Daily News

His peers praise him as an atomic-age Irving Berlin.

Indeed, as a staff writer at Motown Records in the 1960s, Lamont Dozier co-wrote (with partners Brian and Eddie Holland) such pop classics as the Supremes` Baby Love and the Four Tops` Reach Out I`ll Be There.

But in the early 1970s, Dozier vanished. For more than 10 years, little was heard from the composer until he reappeared in 1985 with a tune titled Invisible. Recorded by newcomer Alison Moyet, the song sounded like a mournful plaint aimed at Dozier`s once-adoring public:

``Invisible/You treat me like I`m invisible/You act as if I`m not even there/And you don`t really care.``

It sounds like Dozier`s story. The songwriter released eight solo albums in the 1970s, but radio listeners turned a cold ear.

``They had retired me,`` Dozier said recently, lounging in his Sherman Oaks, Calif., home. ``They thought I was living in the French Riviera spending that long green.``

But not everyone was so determined to bury Dozier. Artists like the Doobie Brothers and James Taylor recorded his Motown hits, and the The Big Chill film soundtrack further cemented his legend.

Motown-mania wasn`t confined to the States. The phenomenon also swept Britain, with groups like Culture Club, ABC and Simply Red performing their own Motown-influenced originals.

Citing the resurgence of Dozier`s early work, producer Pete Waterman advised Dozier to visit London and capitalize on the phenomenon.

``I went there so they could see my face and hobnob,`` Dozier said. ``I`m glad I made the trip, it opened a lot of people`s eyes, got them interested in me again.``

Dozier hammered out Invisible at his temporary London apartment. After that song`s success, producer Stewart Levine suggested Dozier investigate co- writing with singer Mick Hucknall of Simply Red. That meeting resulted in two songs, Infidelity and Suffer, on the band`s latest Elektra Records album, Men and Women.

Now Dozier is virtually buried in work. Eric Clapton, Boz Scaggs and Boy George are among the many singers for whom the songwriter recently has provided songs. He is writing tunes for Phil Collins` film, Buster, and wrote Without You, the closing theme from Bill Cosby`s just-released film, Leonard Part 6, which is already climbing the charts as sung by Peabo Bryson.

As if this were not enough, Holland-Dozier-Holland -- as that classic Motown songwriting team was known -- recently were honored by the National Academy of Songwriters. What`s more, Dozier will become chairman of the academy next month.

``He`s certainly the most gifted musician I`ve ever had the pleasure to work with, and I`ve worked with a long list of people,`` said producer Stewart Levine. ``He`s the most natural composer of our times. He belongs there with Gershwin as far as being everything American music is about.``

John Bettis, acting chairman of the National Academy of Songwriters, said: ``When I first heard those songs, I thought of Irving Berlin and Rodgers and Hart. They had that profound an effect on me.``

Dozier`s ascent to stardom began in Detroit, where he became a custodian at Anna Records, a company owned by Gwen Gordy, and managed to finagle a recording contract. The experience yielded little in the way of music success, but it gave the songwriter a chance to meet Gordy`s brother, a struggling composer named Berry Gordy.

When Anna Records dissolved, Dozier drifted over to Berry`s fledgling Motown Records. There, it was suggested that Dozier team up with tunesmith Brian Holland.

The two paired and scored some minor hits with Martha and the Vandellas and Mary Wells. Soon, Brian`s brother, Eddie, joined the duo and the new team came up with a tune for Martha and the Vandellas called Come and Get These Memories.

``We played it for Berry, and he sort of looked around the room and said, `Who did this?,` `` Dozier recalled. ``Real quick, Brian says, `Lamont came up with it.` Berry hesitated for a second and said, `It`s really nice.` And there was this big sigh of relief.``

Gordy put the three in a closet-size office equipped with a piano, a desk and a crude tape recorder. Each day, the songwriters would punch a time clock and commence to writing the songs that would define 1960s dance music.